Why does democracy emerge and endure in some places and not in others? What fundamental factors will shape the future of the Arab spring and democracy more generally? This talk will explore the origins of democracy, including how climate and technology have shaped the evolution of democratic institutions throughout history.

Stephen Haber is the A.A. and Jeanne Welch Milligan Professor in the School of Humanities and Sciences and director of the Social Science History Program at Stanford University. He is also the Peter and Helen Bing Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution; senior fellow of the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research; senior fellow of the Center for International Development; and research economist at the National Bureau of Economic Research. His research focuses on the relationship between political organization and economic growth. Most of this research has focused on Latin America, particularly Mexico and Brazil.

Cosponsored by the William R. Rhodes Center for International Economics and Finance and the Watson Institute for International Studies.